Thanks #2: Job

Continuing my theme of thanking God all week, let's talk about my job.  Anyone who knows me well would be surprised for me to be thankful for my job.  It's a source of stress and not something I enjoy many days.  If I went back in time I'd choose another career.  So it's not exactly a happy thing for me to think about.

However, my job is flexible enough that I can have time off when I need it.  I make a good salary that allows me to completely provide for my family. I have the respect of people I work with and a good client base. And most importantly, I have a steady job with great job security.  In today's international economy that's a very important thing for me to be able to say.  As much as I don't like my job, I would hate being unemployed even more.

So thanks to God for my job!

Week Of Thanks

Last week was Thanksgiving here in the US.  This is a time when we're supposed to get together with family, eat lots of food, and be thankful for what we have.  But why do we have to wait until the third Thursday in November to give thanks?  God does so much for us that we should be thanking him all of the time.  As my wife has said many times recently, we should be coming to church and to God with our hands up, not hands out.

So for this entire week I'm going to blog about my personal thanks to God. I did that with family last week, but I wanted to wait until after the "official" Thanksgiving holiday to do this publicly.  Maybe this will inspire more people to thank God for all He does.

Today's thanks?  The same thing that I said before the family last Thursday.  I'm thankful for forgiveness.  I'm not a hardened criminal or mass murderer, but I've done some bad things in my life.  Things that have been against God and against other people.  I'm so thankful that no matter what I have done, God forgives.  If it wasn't for His forgiveness, I wouldn't be able to have a place with Him in Heaven, and I wouldn't be who I am today.  Thank you, Lord.

God's French Fries

We all know the following scenario, whether we've been in it or simply seen it.

A father is with his son/daughter at McDonald's or another fast food restaurant.  He orders a Happy Meal for his child and they sit there eating. The father reaches over to take a french fry from the kid's meal, and the child slaps the father's hand.  Wait, a minute!  Didn't the dad just buy that meal?  Sure, it's in front of the child, and the dad gave it to the child to eat, but where did that meal come from and who does it really belong to? 

How often do we do this to God?

God gives us things.  He provides for us by allowing us to have a job (or unemployment), food, places to live, friends to rely on, and so on.  Then He wants to get a little back, say, oh, tithe maybe?  He's given us all of this and asks for only a little back.  Then we slap his hand and say "no, that's mine!"  Is it really ours?  Where did that come from in the first place?

The next time you hear about giving of your time, heart, or paycheck, remember the story of the father and the child's happy meal.  When we have a full meal in front of us, let's not get selfish when the one who bought it wants a french fry.